Dead Emperors
by sho-kun the lion
Summary: It was raining. Oswald personally found the downpour fitting for the funeral. It seemed to him that even the sky wept for his father's death. And now he was gone, leaving Oswald's brother-in-law, Jack Vessalius, to become the new Emperor of Pandora. AU where Jack is the emperor and Lacie is his empress, but things don't go the way everyone expected it to. Rewrite in-progress.
1. Chapter 1

It was raining.

Water poured from the dark, heavy clouds endlessly. Thunder boomed and a far off lightning strike ripped through the dreary sky ominously. The entire kingdom was shrouded in misty gray.

Oswald personally found the endless downpour fitting for the occasion. It seemed to him that even Mother Nature wept for his father's death. His father, emperor of Pandora, Glen Revis Baskerville, 1st of his name. The sharp-witted, genius strategist-general that led their kingdom to prosperity and beat back the Abyss Empire. But to Oswald and his sister, Lacie, he would always be "Daddy." And now, after the mourning period, his brother-in-law, Jack Vessalius, would become the new Emperor of Pandora, just as his father had requested before he passed away.

 _One month earlier_

 _Oswald strode through the corridor to his father's room. His footsteps echoed in the stone hallway, sending the servants scurrying back to the kitchen. Oswald wrenched open the heavy doors, Jack and Lacie following hot on his heels as he marched in._

 _The large canopy bed dwarfed the thin, old emperor. It was painfully apparent that he was wasting away. However, his sharp blue eyes still commanded obedience._

 _"Come on over," Revis said softly._

 _Oswald walked over to the bed, albeit a little slowly, and Jack and Lacie took it as a cue to walk over as well._

 _"Sit," he murmured fondly._

 _They quickly arranged themselves around the emperor, taking up their usual spots with Oswald sitting on the chair to the right, Jack to the left and Lacie sitting on the bed. They moved easily, as if the emperor's room were their own._

 _The king studied his children. "I am old," he said after a while._

 _Oswald tensed up. This could not be happening now._

 _Revis sighed. "I will be leaving you soon. I wish I could stay longer," he said wistfully. "I will miss you."_

 _Lacie flinched slightly and Jack reached out to grab her hand for comfort. Oswald wanted to run far away, to deny that his father, his FATHER, was saying these words, but he could not move a muscle._

 _"Oswald," Revis said, jolting Oswald out of his trance._

 _"Father, I-," Oswald choked out._

 _"It is alright, my son. My precious, beloved son. This is an inevitable event in every person's life. It is simply my time. You have become strong and mature beyond your years. Oswald, I am so very proud that of you. I can see my intelligence in you," the emperor said, smiling. Next, he turned to Jack._

 _"Although you and I, we are not tied by blood, I love you as if you were my own child. You are brilliant and kind. I could not be any more blessed to have such an amazing son," Revis said. "I believe that, together, you, Lacie and Oswald will become stronger. I believe in all of you." Finally, he turned he gaze to Lacie._

 _"Lacie."_

 _She looked up quickly, unshed tears glimmering in her eyes._

 _"You are strong in ways no one else could ever be," the emperor said. He started speaking faster. "You must stand tall and keep your chin up. Support your husband and your brother. Smile for your people. They rely on you. Be the light in their lives, Lacie," he finished._

 _She nodded tearfully._

 _"Good." The emperor coughed sharply. In an instant, they were all by his side, supporting his frail body as he hacked up brilliant red blood. "Sit back down! I am fine!" the old emperor said hoarsely as he waved them away. They backed off and returned to their original spots, but not before they had given him a quick onceover._

 _Revis sighed. Suddenly, Oswald could see each and every wrinkle on his father's face. The old emperor looked haggard and worn. His too skinny frame was hunched over, and his eyes were starting to lose their glint. It was terrified Oswald to no ends._

 _"Jack," the emperor said solemnly._

 _Jack sat up straighter. "Father," he responded softly._

 _"You will be the next emperor."_

 _Everyone stiffened and turned to look at Oswald. Jack looked shocked and confused, Lacie was tense and anticipating her elder brother's reaction. Oswald was confused. His mind replayed his father's words over and over again. Why would his father pass over his eldest son? Was he not good enough? What did Jack have that he didn't? Why?!_

 _The answer came to him like a shock of cold water. The people loved Jack. They did not trust Oswald with his cold, reserved demeanor. He knew that the people could not comprehend him. After all, Oswald was not the one that tried to understand the people's problems. Jack had always been the more outgoing one of the trio._

 _"Oswald?" Lacie prodded worriedly. He snapped out of his daze to look at his father and Jack._

 _"I support your decision, Father. Jack will become a magnificent emperor," he said confidently._

 _His father smiled happily, although it was a bit strained. "I knew that you out of all the people would definitely understand my decision. You are a good brother, Oswald, and I know you will help Jack in any way that you can," the emperor said. Oswald could hear the pride in his father's voice._

 _"Yes, Father," responded Oswald. Lacie relaxed minutely and smiled._

 _"You may go," Revis said tiredly. The conversation had taken a lot out of him and they could see the strain in his eyes._

 _Oswald carefully guided a still shell-shocked Jack away. Lacie made to follow the two men but paused to gaze upon her father. The emperor sat straight-backed, staring out the window at something that Lacie could not see._

 _One hour later, the church bells tolled their death knell._

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Hi, this is sho-kun the lion. Thanks for reading my first fanfic. I have no idea if you guys want me to continue this so please kindly read and review! Feel free to PM me or something and no flamers, please.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**

Chapter 2 is up! That was actually really fast, wasn't it? I still don't own Pandora Hearts as much as I wish I did. Thank you for reading this fanfic. Sorry if the characters are a little OOC, I haven't read Pandora Hearts in a while. I'll try to get chapter 3 out quickly. In the mean time, review responses!

 **Guest** : Thank you for your analysis and support!

 **Jules** : I'll keep writing! Oswald is my favorite, too!

 **Loopy Leefy** : Thank you! As for the spelling, thank spellcheck.

 **Starlit Skyline** : Thank you for correcting my grammer! I didn't notice that at all. Unfortunately, I write tragedy the best. I feel kind of bad for killing off a character right off the bat, but at least Oswald, Lacie and Jack lead somewhat better lives in this AU. The manga made me cry. I just hope this chapter is as good as the first one.

 **Grace** : Thank you for your support! I'm not sure if this is the best way to start reading fanfic because it kills someone off immediately, but thank you for the compliment!

Back to the story!

* * *

It was finally the day of Jack's coronation. The servants had already started bringing out the plates and food by the time Oswald remembered it was morning. He dragged himself out of bed and pulled his clothes on, checking himself in the mirror. Sighing, he ran a brush through his bedhead and walked out the door just in time to crash face-first into Jack's far too cheerful smile.

"Good morning!" greeted Jack. "Since you weren't up yet, I just decided to wake you up!"

Oswald stared at him for a while before walking out of his room. He was not a morning person. The mornings were entirely WAY too early for people to be cheerful. Unfortunately, Jack WAS a morning person and since he was one of the few people that were actually awake, he kept up his meaningless chatter.

"Did you see the Great Hall yet? The servants must've worked really hard on all those delicious dishes. Did you know we had a thousand salad plates?" and so on and so on. It was annoying. Hopefully, Oswald wouldn't strangle his best friend before his coronation.

"Did you see those banners in front of the gates?"

Oswald reconsidered the increasingly lovely idea of homicide.

The two men walked down the corridor, heading towards Jack and Lacie's room. Just as Oswald was about to knock, the door burst open and for the second time in ten minutes, Oswald crashed face first into an object. As he picked himself off of the floor, Oswald considered retiring to a small, reclusive village WITHOUT people that felt the need to try and smash his face in. He waved off Jack and Lacie's concerns and apologies and dusted himself off.

"I'm so sorry, Oswald! I really didn't mean to open the door in your face," Lacie apologized.

"It's alright. Shouldn't we be getting ready for the coronation?" Oswald said.

Jack and Lacie blinked. Then, they ran back into their room. Oswald could hear the loud banging of drawers and closets being wrenched open and slammed shut. He pinched the bridge of his nose and walked away.

The coronation went off without a hitch. The visiting dignitaries found the new emperor to be extremely affable and cheerful. Lacie found it very funny. Oswald was simply glad that their economy would be getting better. However, he did not appreciate Jack setting him up with various young princesses and future empresses. Therefore, about forty minutes into the party, he made a strategical retreat. It was not running away, it was simply knowing when to back out. Despite his little problem, Oswald was happy. Pandora would prosper under Jack and Lacie's combined rule. With Jack's cunning and Lacie's wits, Oswald was sure that there would be no wars and even the lowest peasant would have food to eat. All in all, this coronation would be the start to a new era.

 _Six years later_

Two children ran around in the castle gardens. A little blond haired duplicate of Jack dashed away from a little dark haired girl in a red dress as Oswald watched over them. The little girl tripped and fell. She looked like she was about to start bawling, but the little boy carefully helped her up and wiped away her tears. In no time, they were running around again. Oswald smiled. His niece and nephew often played in the gardens when they didn't have lessons with the royal tutors.

One year after Jack's coronation, Lacie had given birth to Oz Vessalius-Baskerville; future emperor of Pandora, and the year after that, Alice Vessalius-Baskerville came to join her brother. One day, Oz would rule Pandora with his queen and Alice, like Oswald, would support him. But for now, they were just two children monkeying around in the gardens.

The years after Jack's coronation, as Oswald had predicted, were relatively peaceful. There had only been one border skirmish with the neighboring Nightray kingdom and either way, they had become allies afterwards, thanks to Jack's remarkable diplomatic skills. Lacie had become an expert at dealing with little domestic problems and in general, running a kingdom as Jack gained more allies and expanded their borders through careful manipulation of other kingdoms. The Pandora Empire was now the largest empire on the continent. With any luck, they would hopefully be able to maintain their borders. Now where on Earth had he put his papers? He needed to finish the treaty befo-

"Oswald!"

Oswald was jerked out of his thoughts as Lacie called out his name. "Oswald!" she called excitedly. "I've got really exciting news!"

Oswald sighed. Just when he thought he would be able to get some of that horrid paperwork done. "What is the exciting news?" he said, humoring his hyperactive sister.

"I've been invited to attend a party hosted by the Yura Kingdom!" She did a little twirl and plopped down in the chair beside Oswald. "The eldest prince is turning fifteen in a couple days!" Her smile was as bright as the sun.

Oswald blinked. Now that Oswald thought about it, this event would be one of the few times that Lacie would leave the Pandora Empire's territory. When they were young, their father had been constantly fighting wars against other kingdoms and empires, so it was never safe for them to leave the empire. After Lacie grew up, she had been courting Jack, and later, their father had been very ill. Even after Jack had become emperor, because of his constant diplomatic journeys, Lacie had to stay behind to run the empire.

Now, Lacie had the chance to visit another kingdom and see different sights. It was no wonder she was so enthusiastic. Oswald was very happy for his sister, but he felt very reluctant to allow Lacie to venture out of the empire's territory, where he and Jack could do nothing to protect her. But, for now, he could just sit in the castle gardens with his niece and nephew, basking in the warm sunlight and his precious sister's happiness. If only that blinding bright smile would stop actually BLINDING him.

Oswald would regret his decision later on.

* * *

Woah, cliffhanger! Sorry to leave you all off like this. Now, we've taken a break from the depressing mood and hopped into a more cheerful one. Unfortunately, this is still a tragedy, so in the next chapter, the pace will start picking up. Please read and review!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note**

Sorry for the super late update! Now, for replies to reviewers.

 **Loopy Leefy:** Yes, that is a Frozen reference! I couldn't resist tossing that in. I agree with you, if you don't know what on Earth is being said, how do you even know the plot? Thanks for the compliments.

 **Dpca:** The detail is pretty useful. If you have any questions about the plot and characters, you can just leave a review. That goes for everyone out there, too! I totally recommend that you read the manga, too, because the plot in this fanfiction is different. The characters are also a little OOC (Out Of Character) because they have been raised in different environments than in the manga.

 **KevinDaAsian** **:** Interesting name! Thank you, I'll keep writing.

 **Haou Judai 4Ever:** Thank you! I'll definitely get another chapter out. At some point. Hopefully. Don't worry, there is no way I am dropping this story, although I haven't fleshed out all the details. And now you get to read another new chapter! :)

 **Now read on, my beloved readers! And don't forget to drop a review!**

* * *

Lacie leaned out of the carriage window. A fresh, clean breeze whistled through her hair as she avidly watched the beautiful countryside flow past her. It was the third and final day of the journey to the Yura Kingdom. Today, they would cross Pandora's borders into Nightray territory. Then, Lacie and her entourage would be escorted to the Yura Kingdom, along with the Nightray guests, for Isla Yura's party. It would be a good chance to make long-lasting allies, but all Lacie could focus on the fact that she was OUTSIDE of Castle Sablier. It was amazing! Now, she finally had the chance to see different sights AND visit two different kingdoms at once! Lacie swore to herself that she would make these few days of freedom the best days of her life. At least, the best days besides her wedding day and Alice and Oz's birthdays.

 _A few hours later_

The Pandora and Nightray entourages had arrived to the Yura palace. During the long ride, Lacie had bonded very well with the three Nightray children, Gilbert, Vincent, and Vanessa. Gilbert was the quiet, shy one. Vincent talked quite a bit and he and Lacie had many things in common, starting with their red eyes, or in Vincent's case, eye. Vanessa, the eldest, was mature and a bit stifling, which was probably the reason she was sent along with the other Nightray children. Lacie found all of them rather interesting. They would become good connections for Pandora and, hopefully, their younger siblings would be good playmates for Oz and Alice.

The carriages rolled through the castle's inner gate and into a large front garden. They stopped in front of the grand stairs leading to the gilded doors and the footmen opened the door for the Nightrays and Lacie. Vincent swept out elegantly and offered Lacie his hand. She giggled and took it, stepping out into the cool night air. Vanessa was still trying to coax Gilbert out of the carriage.

Once Vincent and Lacie helped Vanessa pry Gilbert off of the carriage door (thank God that no one had witnessed that embarrassing incident!), the group of four made their way up the stairs and through the large doors. What they saw was a true sight for the eyes.

The main foyer was filled with paintings of the various rulers of Yura Kingdom. An enormous chandelier hung above their heads, the cut gems throwing brilliant colors around the entire hall. Lacie and the Nightrays walked down the corridor slowly, drinking in the new sights. The guards saluted sharply and dragged open another set of intricate, heavy doors. Lacie handed the herald a slip of paper.

As he called out their names, Lacie, Vanessa, Gilbert and Vincent stepped into the light-flooded ballroom and gracefully descended the steps. At least, everyone but Gilbert did. He walked down the stairs like he was being led to his execution. More guests and visiting dignitaries poured into to the ballroom, a flood of eligible young women and men, along with emperors and empresses, kings and queens, dukes and duchesses. The party began with a dance. Vincent smiled in amusement as Gilbert died a little more inside.

Lacie twirled from one partner to the next, flying across the floor as the musicians pulled the strings of their instruments in a particularly fast reel. She laughed breathlessly as Vincent quickly pulled her away from her current partner. They now had a clear view of Vanessa leading Gilbert through the rapid steps, then, they twirled away. The musicians stretched out the last few notes and the dancers curtsied or bowed to their respective partners.

As Vincent escorted Lacie off the dance floor and back to a small table where Gilbert, who had ran off of the dance floor as soon as the reel ended, the herald trumpeted and yelled authoritatively, "May I present His most Benevolent Majesty, Ruler of the Yura kingdom, Conqueror of Countries, King Isla Yura, the 1st of his name!"

A tall, skinny man wearing an elaborate outfit and tiara appeared on a balcony overlooking the ballroom. He smiled a strange little smile and said politely, "Good evening and welcome, my most important guests. I am overjoyed to see that you could all make it here to celebrate my son's birthday tonight!"

Isla Yura beckoned to the sullen looking boy standing behind him. He didn't resemble the queer king at all and he certainly didn't look happy about having to attend the party. Naturally, the birthday boy chose to slink further into the shadows. The king simply huffed softly and turned back to his audience.

"Thank you all for coming! I do hope you enjoy the rest of the evening and I look forward to meeting all of you lovely people," Isla Yura concluded. The two royals walked back down to the dance floor and the musicians picked up their instruments again.

"Would you fancy another dance, Miss Lacie?" Vincent asked slyly. Gilbert tried to fend off the various young ladies that had finally noticed the two handsome men.

Lacie giggled and said, "Thank you, Vincent, but we should greet our hosts first, shouldn't we?" The aforementioned various young ladies tried to drag Gilbert from his chair.

"Very well, Miss Lacie. Let us go," Vincent replied. They had taken only a few steps before Vincent turned around in confusion and called, "Gil! Vanessa! Aren't you coming?"

Vanessa wrenched Gilbert away from the last of the young ladies and dragged him over to Vincent and Lacie. "We're right here," Vanessa said irritably. "Next time, you try prying Gil away from those harpies. Did you bring a crowbar by any chance? Gil's getting a little clingy for my tastes."

Said boy was clinging to Vanessa's arm like it was his lifeline.

Vincent sighed and pulled Gilbert off of Vanessa's arm and steered him towards the royal balcony.

Vanessa fell in step with Lacie with a soft sigh. "How are you enjoying the party, Miss Lacie?" she asked.

Lacie beamed. "It's quite fun! The food is very interesting! I didn't know you could eat pig's feet!"

Vanessa suppressed the urge to puke and bravely pressed on. "Do you like the decor?"

"Quite so! They are lovely. Those cut gems sparkle so beautifully. And the furniture doesn't clash with that amazing chandelier!"

Vanessa smiled. It was nice to see the cheerful woman acting like a child in a toy store. "I, myself, am very partial to those lovely draperies. They are such a nice color."

"Yes! Don't you think that those French windows are just charming?"

"Indeed, and the balconies are decorated so well!"

The two women continued their chatter as the group walked over to the stairs leading to the royal balcony. The king stood at the bottom of the steps, greeting each guest with his unhappy son.

Vincent led Gilbert, Vanessa and Lacie over and said cordially, "It is a pleasure to see you again, King Isla Yura."

"It has been such a long time, Prince Vincent!" Isla Yura said. He smiled and turned to Lacie. "I don't believe I've ever had the pleasure of meeting you, miss."

"Indeed. I am Lacie Baskerville-Vessalius, Empress of the Pandora Empire. It is a pleasure to meet you, King Isla. Congratulations on your son's birthday. May he live a long, fine life," Lacie said with a polite smile. Yura's smile made her feel like she was being carefully dissected underneath his gaze. It gave her shivers and unsettled her greatly.

Yura's smile grew. "This is my son." He pushed the young prince in front of him. The prince stared at the Nightrays and Lacie sullenly. He did not offer his name or any sort of introduction, simply standing there with eyes glazed over.

"Forgive his manners, he dislikes large parties severely," Yura said, chuckling and whisking the boy away as fast as he had appeared.

Lacie nodded politely. The prince's eyes looked wrong. They were strangely blank and almost as creepy as Yura's smile.

Vanessa coughed lightly enough to catch Yura's attention.

"Ah, Princess Vanessa! And Prince Gilbert as well! The two of you have grown up wonderfully! How is your father?" exclaimed Yura.

Gilbert flinched as Vanessa subtly elbowed him in the ribs and replied woodenly, "He's in good health."

"That's good. Now, I wouldn't want to deprive you of your fun and I have some other guests I need to attend to." The king of Yura smiled slyly. "I do believe some lovely ladies are calling your name, Prince Gilbert. Do enjoy yourself." He waved them along, a clear dismissal. Normally, Lacie would have been very offended, but now, she was just relieved to get away from the king and his horrid smile.

As she approached the dance floor, towing Gilbert along, she tried to let the music and dancing wash away the images of Isla Yura's smile.

* * *

 **Author's Other Note**

I hope you guys liked this chapter. We've finally introduced some major characters. See any familiar faces? Next chapter will probably have a bit more action. This chapter was more of a way to get things set up so we could break some hearts and kill off a few characters. Be ready for tears and weepy stuff. **If you see any spelling or grammar mistakes, please point them out! Read and review! It helps me get out chapters faster.**


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